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How The Szapolyai Family Was Remembered From The 16th To The 20th Century
How The Szapolyai Family Was Remembered From The 16th To The 20th Century
How The Szapolyai Family Was Remembered From The 16th To The 20th Century
A F orgotten
H ungAriAn r oyAl D ynAsty :
of members of the family’s first generation, which made them
THE SZAPOLYAIS
Edited by
Pál FoDor and szAbolcs VArgA
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ISTVÁN KENYERES
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ZOLTÁN CSEPREGI
Religious Literature and Reformation in the Territories Ruled
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6
Szabolcs Varga*
INTRODUCTION
Hungarian historical memory has treated the Szapolyais with extreme negligence,
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RIPHPRU\˭loci memoriae, OLHXGHPªPRLUHᦲ related to the Hunyadi family can
be found both outside the current borders of Hungary, as in Nándorfehérvár
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family.ᦳ One could of course rightly argue that the Hunyadi family deserves to
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Kingdom of Hungary of the late Middle Ages, was an outstanding politician,
victorious military leader and a generous patron all in one. The members of the
Hunyadi family were, as research reveals, far from impeccable, however.ᦴ'HVSLWH
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constantly enriched. In the light of their acknowledged political achievements,
the history of the Hunyadi family has become a living historical memory, with
its own rites and sites in the Carpathian basin.
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Pálosfalvi for his help in the writing of this essay.
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311
SZABOLCS VARGA
As regards the Szapolyai family, we are not today able to speak of a living
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estates, constructions and the humanists that so frequently appeared at their
court could all have played their part in building up a cult around the family.ᦵ
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region, which was the ancestral territory of the family, all had the potential
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not.ᦶ This phenomenon is understandable, given that it took place in the early
modern period, since this is when the region came under the rule of Holy Roman
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.DVVD.RĢLFHᦷ the coat of arms of the Szapolyai family was torn down and
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no living cult of the Szapolyai family, so the family entered modern historical
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origin.ᦸ 7KLV LV ZK\ .LQJ -RKQ˭V IXOO̐JXUH VWDWXH ZDV LQFOXGHG DPRQJ WKH
sculptures decorating the Hungarian parliament building in Budapest, on the
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his lord in his right hand, while folding down the eagle banner of the defeated
Habsburgs with his left. The message of the piece is symbolic, with Szapolyai,
representing the nation, depicted as the governor of Austria and Vienna.ᦱᦰ
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cited as good examples of this.
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down and desecrated by binding to a dog and burning it. The poor animal was then chased
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Sectio Philosophica ᦱᦳᦳᦲᦰᦰᦸᦱᦶᦵ˩ᦱᦷᦶ
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312
HOW THE SZAPOLYAI FAMILY WAS REMEMBERED FROM THE 16TH TO THE 20TH CENTURY
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had to face allegations formulated by writers opposing him, who either concealed
his existence, like Cuspinianus,ᦱᦵRUFODLPHGOLNH3DXOXV,RYLXV3DROR*LRYLR
that he was openly happy about the death of his king. The memoirs of György
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István Szapolyai played dirty and killed King Matthias, and received the Eucharist
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his country and his king, and years before the Battle of Mohács he had made an
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sure the Ottomans would win.ᦱᦷ+HZDVUHJDUGHGDVDˬFRZDUGO\.LQJ&DWKOHQH˭
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and masculine bravado.ᦱᦸ6]HUªPL˭VWH[WLVQRWKLQJEXWWKHYRLFHRIWKHPDVVHV
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not have to hold himself back, not even for fear of punishment, but this does not
mean he can be ignored. The most far-fetched stories must have been circulating
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An example is his secret meeting with Ibrahim, which is also mentioned by the
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and he was prudent in dealing with various matters, but as king he did not dare
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had a much more positive opinion of Szapolyai, but that image has since
completely faded away. How these related to each other and how they were
connected in time can only be reconstructed after a more thorough investigation.
314
HOW THE SZAPOLYAI FAMILY WAS REMEMBERED FROM THE 16TH TO THE 20TH CENTURY
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315
SZABOLCS VARGA
this with great satisfaction. It is no coincidence that the author of the diary
wrote that “the king, his majesty, is loved by young and old, who feel sorry
for his ill health”.ᦲᦷ Before he left for Buda, he “spoke in a friendly way to the
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sentiment was expressed when the news of the birth of the heir apparent spread
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because the people loved the humble king, our majesty.”ᦲᦹ At the same time King
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saying that “we cannot repudiate them, let them have mercy”.ᦳᦰ Like Matthias,
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with whatever wind blows; the Turks come one today, they kiss their caftans,
the Hungarians come the next day, they fawn over them; and they bless the
Germans, should they come the day after next; they only seek their own good,
and they would even deny their own homeland, if it proved necessary.”ᦳᦱ Had any
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certainly have been included in it.
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unconditionally, respected his person and used the following adjectives to describe
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retribution that had fallen on Hungary would only be lifted if the lords sided
with the “humble king”.ᦳᦳ
It is very interesting that the monarch, who remained Catholic throughout
his life, was characterized by the Protestant Gáspár Heltai in his novel entitled
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epitheton ornans; we have to accept that this really was how these authors saw
the king.
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Hungary after the Battle of Mohács.ᦳᦶ This thought was then taken up by the
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the most, in his poem entitled Ruinae Pannonicae.ᦳᦷ This trend was then further
reinforced by Gian Michele Brutus, whose aim was to prove the pro-Ottoman
character of the politics of the Szapolyais,ᦳᦸ and by his followers, namely
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evil sin”.ᦴᦰ7KHORQJOLVWRIᦱᦶWKFHQWXU\ZRUNVSUDLVLQJ-RKQFRXOGEHFRQWLQXHG
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who believed that “there can hardly be any doubt that it was not so much
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on his memory in the public mind, but rather the occupation of Buda by the
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people believed he had paved the way for it to happen.”ᦴᦲ Of his varied career
path, posterity used what it pleased. This is why outstanding historian Emma
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“a coward and weak, but ruthless and bloody man, who was only afraid of
hurting powerful lords.”ᦴᦳ7KHUHDUHWKUHHUHDVRQVIRUWKLVGLVWRUWLRQ)LUVWWKH
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narrowed to the territory of the Principality of Transylvania. Second, by the
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ᦴᦴ˘2QWKLVVHHDPRQJRWKHUVWKHZRUNVRI3¢O7K»ULDQG$OEHUW6]HQFL0ROQ¢U,PUH0LK¢O\
ˬ6]HQFL 0ROQ¢U $OEHUW ˲,GHD &KULVWLDQRUXP˱D˭ LQ %ªOD 9DUMDV HG ,URGDORP ªV LGHRO´JLD D
ᤱ˨ᤲV]¢]DGEDQ0HPRULD6DHFXORUXP+XQJDULDHᦵ%XGDSHVWᦱᦹᦸᦷ ᦲᦳᦵ
ᦴᦵ˘,VWY¢Q̏\ +LVWRULDUXP GH UHEXV *¢ERU 1DJ\ ˬ6]DSRO\DL ,VWY¢Q ªV -¢QRV DODNMD ,VWKY¢Q̏\
+LVWRULDHM¢EDQ˭LQ-´]VHI%HVVHQ\HL=LWD+RUY¢WKDQG3ªWHU7´WKHGVTanulmányok Szapolyai
-¢QRVU´OªVDNRUD»MNRUL(UGªO\UĒO6WXGLD0LVNROFLQHQVLDᦵ0LVNROFᦲᦰᦰᦴᦱᦹᦵ
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ᦵᦰ˘5HJQXPTXRGVLELGHIHUUHQWVHTXLGHPQXQTXDPFRQFXSLYLVVH Bethlen, +LVWRULD,ᦴᦴ$EKRUUHUHWD
QXSWLLV SUHFLEXV WDPHQ 3URFHUXP 3DQQRQLDH FRHOLEDWXP DEUXPSHUH VXDGHQWLXP DG LQHXQGXP
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319
SZABOLCS VARGA
He kept saying that friends obtained through good deeds were his most precious
treasure. This description reveals the image of a peaceful, well-educated and
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throughout his life and whose biggest sin was that he wished to reach his goals
with Ottoman support, does little to damage this image.ᦵᦲ ,Q %HWKOHQ˭V ZRUN
-RKQDSSHDUVDVDWUDJLFKHURZKREHFDXVHKHZDVERUQXQGHUDQXQOXFN\VWDU
was not able to show his real skills. According to Bethlen, the person was not
evil, only the age in which he lived. He expressed this by putting these words
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misfortune was only the beginning of the other.”ᦵᦳ Giving it more thought, this
LVOLNHO\WRKDYHEHHQWKHUHDOPRWWRRIWKH6]DSRO\DLV˭UXOH<HW%HWKOHQ˭VZRUN
is a testimony to the fact that the cult of the Szapolyai dynasty still existed in
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320
HOW THE SZAPOLYAI FAMILY WAS REMEMBERED FROM THE 16TH TO THE 20TH CENTURY
as the culmination of his oeuvre.ᦵᦶ His family originated from Moravia, but
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light of the day on a territory that had once belonged to the Szapolyai family.
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in medias resLQFRQQHFWLRQZLWKWKHHYHQWVLQ%RVQLDLQᦱᦴᦶᦴZKLOH,VWY¢QLV
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of his burial and also the inscription on his tomb; the last of these he had seen
with his own eyes.ᦵᦷ 7KH -HVXLW VFLHQWLVW ZDV LQWHUHVWHG LQ HSLJUDSK\ ZKLFK
may be the reason why, after praising the deceased István Szapolyai, he also
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clientilis potens, and explains the events of the royal election on the basis of
3ªWHU5ªYD\˭VERRNDe MonarchiaSXEOLVKHGLQᦱᦶᦵᦹᦵᦹ Apart from this he also
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his desire to become king,ᦶᦰDQGKDGIRXQGDVXLWDEOHSHUVRQ+LHURQ\PĂDVNL
to represent his interests at the Porte. He recounts the events of the next couple
of years without any accusations, in a well-balanced manner, and, as for the
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with both great powers, had the walls of Buda built, walls that continued to
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WRDFWDFFRUGLQJWRWKHLUNQRZOHGJHLIVXUURXQGHGE\̐OWKDQGGLUWᦶᦲ:LWKWKLV
assessment Timon exonerated the Szapolyais, instead blaming the epoch for all
the misery that occurred during their reign.
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Matthias Bél, who in many aspects set the standard for upcoming generations.
Bél wished to create a geographical and historical description of the country on
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Stephani primi regis apostolici, producta ad Annum MDCCXXXVI&ODXGLRSROLᦱᦷᦶᦴᦲ.
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ᦵᦹ˘7LPRQ Epitome chronologica ᦱᦱᦹ˩ᦱᦲᦰ *HUJHO\ 7´WK ˬ/XWKHU¢QXV RUV]¢JW·UWªQHW »MV]WRLNXV
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Timon, Epitome chronologicaᦱᦲᦳ
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gradu dignum egisse, consentiunt.” ,ELGᦲᦳᦳ
321
SZABOLCS VARGA
the basis of the methods of German theories of the state.ᦶᦳ He had a primary
interest in geography, but, as an outstanding scholar, he was in fact interested in
everything. The story he told of how Szapolyai received the castle of Trencsén
for his bravery demonstrated in the Bohemian war was essentially based on
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7UHQFVªQE\)HUGLQDQG˭VWURRSVᦶᦵ
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WKHFRXQW\RI6¢URVDQGSXEOLVKHG̐UVWDFRXSOHRI\HDUVHDUOLHUᦶᦶ He noted that
VLQFH 6¢URV ZDV 3ªWHU 3HUªQ\L˭V HVWDWH DIWHU KH VZLWFKHG VLGHV LW FDPH XQGHU
-RKQ6]DSRO\DL˭VMXULVGLFWLRQDQGLWZDVRQO\DIWHUDORQJVLHJHWKDW/HRQKDUG
YRQ9HOVZDVDEOHWRUHWDNHLWIRU.LQJ)HUGLQDQGᦶᦷ The entry on the castle of
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DSDUWPHQWV RI WKH JDUULVRQ R̒FHUV DQG SULHVWV ZHUH ORFDWHG WKH URRPV ZHUH
GHFRUDWHGZLWKSDLQWLQJVRIWKH5¢N´F]L6]DSRO\DLDQG=U®Q\LIDPLOLHVZKLFK
may be somewhat surprising.ᦶᦸ Knowing the history of the castle, it is not so
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a series of changes in ownership, it came into the possession of Péter Petrovics
LQᦱᦵᦵᦱDQGZDVWKHQLQKHULWHGIURPKLPE\-RKQ,,ᦶᦹ Looking at it from the
perspective of the remembrance of the Szapolyais, that visitors were able to see a
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at the same place must have been interesting. All this means that some form of
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,QWKHODWHᦱᦸWKFHQWXU\LWZDVPRVWO\.¢URO\:DJQHUZKRFRQGXFWHGUHVHDUFK
LQWRWKH6]DSRO\DLIDPLO\:DJQHUZDVYHU\PXFKLQ̑XHQFHGE\0DWWKLDV%ªO˭V
collection on Szepes county, +LVWRULD FRPLWDWXV 6FHSXVLHQVLV, which provided a
ᦶᦳ˘*HUJHO\7´WKˬ9HVWLJLDEDUEDUDHJHQWLV0¢W\¢V%ªORQ2WWRPDQDQG3RVW2WWRPDQ+XQJDU\˭LQ
3¢O)RGRUDQG3¢OFVHGV,GHQWLW\DQG&XOWXUHLQ2WWRPDQ+XQJDU\(Studien zur Sprache,
*HVFKLFKWHXQG.XOWXUGHU7½UNY·ONHUᦲᦴ%HUOLQᦲᦰᦱᦷᦳᦶᦷ˩ᦳᦶᦹ
ᦶᦴ˘0DWWKLDV %HO 1RWLWLD +XQJDULDH QRYDH KLVWRULFR JHRJUDSKLFD˷ &RPLWDWXXP LQHGLWRUXP WRPXV
SULPXV LQ TXR FRQWLQHQWXU˷ &RPLWDWXV $UYHQVLV HW 7UHQWVLQLHQVLV (G E\ *HUJHO\ 7´WK LQ
FROODERUDWLRQZLWK/¢V]O´*O½FNDQG=ROW¢Q*Ē]V\%XGDSHVWᦲᦰᦱᦱᦲᦷᦱ˩ᦲᦷᦷ
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D̎DEUHSLFWLVVXSHUELW. ,ELGᦳᦲᦹ7KHWH[WGDWHVEDFNRQO\WRWKHHDUO\ᦱᦹWKFHQWXU\DWWKHHDUOLHVW
so must be a later insertion.
ᦶᦹ˘,ELGᦳᦳᦱDOVRVHH;9,V]¢]DGLXUDGDOPLXWDV®W¢VRN8WDV®W¢VRNDNDPDUDLXUDGDOPDNSUHIHNWXVDL
XGYDUE®U¢L ªV HOOHQĒUHL UªV]ªUH 9RO ,, )RQV .·Q\YHN ᦲ (GLWHG DQG LQWURGXFWRU\ HVVD\ E\
,VWY¢Q.HQ\HUHV%XGDSHVWᦲᦰᦰᦲᦴᦵᦱ˩ᦴᦵᦲ
322
HOW THE SZAPOLYAI FAMILY WAS REMEMBERED FROM THE 16TH TO THE 20TH CENTURY
very detailed description of the area,ᦷᦰ EXW ZKLOH %ªO˭V LQWHUHVW LQ JHRJUDSK\
GH̐QHGKLVYLHZRIKLVWRU\:DJQHUZDVLQWHUHVWHGLQKLVWRU\RQO\,QDUFKLYDO
VRXUFHV:DJQHUZDVORRNLQJIRUSDVWHYHQWVDQGSODFHGWKHLQGLYLGXDODWWKH
centre in his work on the Szepesség region, as well.ᦷᦱ In his writings he placed
special emphasis on the genealogy of certain families; for this reason, his work
was very popular in the upcoming decades. Iván Nagy methodically used his
̐QGLQJVLQKLVZRUNRQIDPLO\KLVWRU\ᦷᦲ-HURPRV%DODOVRUHIHUUHGWRKLPLQ
his writings on the history of Szepes county.ᦷᦳ Alongside the history of the
7KXU]´7K·N·O\DQG9DUNRFVIDPLOLHVWKHIRXUWKYROXPHRI:DJQHU˭VZRUNDOVR
contains the history of the Szapolyai family, which has become the most famous
collection of information on the family.ᦷᦴ
:DJQHU PHQWLRQHG WKH IDPLO\˭V RULJLQ LQ 3R]VHJD FRXQW\ RQ WKH EDVLV RI
FKDUWHUV DQG RI QRWHV IURP +DQV 'HUQVFKZDPᦷᦵ The latter wrote about the
Szapolyais in a rather hostile manner, and this hostility also found its way
LQWR :DJQHU˭V ZRUN /LNH KLP :DJQHU DOVR PDGH UHSHDWHG PHQWLRQ RI WKH
pro-Ottoman attitude of the family.ᦷᦶ :KHQ SUHVHQWLQJ ,PUH 6]DSRO\DL KH
PHQWLRQHGWKDWKHIRXQGHGD3DXOLQHPRQDVWHU\LQWKHFLW\RI7RNDMLQᦱᦴᦷᦶᦷᦷ
:KHQ JLYLQJ DQ DFFRXQW RI KLV GHDWK KH SXEOLVKHG WKH HQWLUH OHWWHU ZULWWHQ
E\ WKH IDPLO\˭V VHUYLWRU 3¢O ,VªS WR WKH FLW\ RI %¢UWIDᦷᦸ As regards István, he
emphasized his generosity and his military experience,ᦷᦹ only a few lines later
to accuse him of poisoning Matthias when he was captain of Vienna.ᦸᦰ He then
FRQWLQXHGWKHOLVWRI,VWY¢Q˭VVLQVKHVWROHDODUJHSDUWRI0DWWKLDV˭VWUHDVXU\
DQGVRPHRIWKHGLVKHVZLWKWKHUDYHQLQVLJQLDFRXOGEHIRXQGLQ.LQJ-RKQ˭V
possession as much as four decades later. To this he added that as all accusations
FDPHIURP+DQV'HUQVFKZDPZKRLQVHYHUDOLQVWDQFHVZURWHQHJDWLYHO\DERXW
the Szapolyai family, he could not imagine that palatine István would treat his
royal benefactor in such a way. It was more likely, wrote the historian, that
these objects, marked with the coat of arms of the royal family, came into the
ᦷᦰ˘0DWWKLDV%HOˬ+LVWRULDFRPLWDWXV6FHSXVLHQVLV˭LQ,GHP+XQJDULDHDQWLTXDHHWQRYDHSURGURPXV
cum specimine1RULPEHUJDHᦱᦷᦲᦳᦶᦹ˩ᦱᦲᦴ
ᦷᦱ˘&DUROXV:DJQHUAnalecta Scepusii sacri et profane. Vols. I–IV9LHQQDHᦱᦷᦷᦴ˩ᦱᦷᦷᦸ2Q:DJQHU˭V
ZRUNVPRVWUHFHQWO\.RUQªOLD6]ĒNH*HQHDORJLDYDULDELOLV7DQXOP¢Q\DJHQHDO´JLDPIJIDMDLU´OD
7KXU]´FVDO¢G SªOG¢M¢Q 3K' 'LVVHUWDWLRQ 0LVNROF 8QLYHUVLW\ )DFXOW\ RI +XPDQLWLHV 0LV
NROFᦲᦰᦱᦷ
ᦷᦲ˘6]ĒNHGenealogiaᦱᦰᦵ
ᦷᦳ˘-HURPRV%DO6]HSHVY¢UDW·UWªQHWH$6]HSHVPHJ\HL7·UWªQHOPL7¢UVXODWYN·Q\YHᦱᦳ/ĒFVH
ᦱᦹᦱᦴ
ᦷᦴ˘:DJQHUAnalecta,,9ᦱ˩ᦴᦶ
ᦷᦵ˘+DQV'HUQVFKZDP(UGªO\%HV]WHUFHE¢Q\D7·U·NRUV]¢JL»WLQDSO´%LEOLRWKHFD+LVWRULFD7UDQV
ODWHGDQGSXEOLVKHGE\/DMRV7DUG\%XGDSHVWᦱᦹᦸᦴᦱᦱᦲ
ᦷᦶ˘2QWKLVVHH7LERU1HXPDQQ˭VHVVD\RQWKHULVHRIWKHIDPLO\LQWKHSUHVHQWYROXPH
ᦷᦷ˘7KHEXLOGLQJRIWKHPRQDVWHU\ZDVIRXQGLQWKHᦱᦹᦶᦰV=ROW¢Q5LE¢U\DQG7LERU-R´ˬ$WRNDML
S¢ORVNRORVWRUQ\RP¢EDQ˭$0LVNROFL+HUPDQ2WW´0»]HXP.·]OHPªQ\HLᦶᦱᦹᦶᦴᦴᦹ˩ᦵᦳ
ᦷᦸ˘:DJQHUAnalecta,,9ᦱᦶ˩ᦱᦷ
ᦷᦹ˘,ELGᦱᦹ
ᦸᦰ˘0DWWKLDP IXLVVH 9LHQQDH DE LSVR 6WHSKDQR YHQHQR VXEODWXP ,ELG ᦲᦰ 7UXH KH QRWHG LQ WKH
footnotes that according to other historians the murder was carried out by István Báthori.
323
SZABOLCS VARGA
SRVVHVVLRQRIWKH6]DSRO\DLIDPLO\DVDUHVXOWRI-RKQ&RUYLQXV˭VEHQHYROHQFH
:DJQHUDOVRFOHDUHG6]DSRO\DLRIWKHDFFXVDWLRQVFRQFHUQLQJKLVVXUUHQGHURI
Vienna, reasoning that he had done so for the good of the country,ᦸᦱ and it was for
the same reason that he had actively supported the election of Vladislaus as king.
Having presented István, he turned to some of the female members of the
IDPLO\DQGWKHQWR-RKQ˭VOLIH$WWKHYHU\RXWVHWKHUHPDUNHGWKDWWKHUHZDV
XQFHUWDLQW\FRQFHUQLQJKLVGDWHRIELUWKDFFRUGLQJWR3DXO(EHUKHZDVERUQ
RQᦲᦹ0DUFKᦱᦴᦹᦰZKHUHDV)DUNDV%HWKOHQVWDWHGWKDWKHGLHGLQᦱᦵᦴᦰDWWKH
DJHRIᦵᦳᦸᦲ2QWKHEDVLVRIWKHZRUNVRI,VWY¢Q̏\DQG3ªWHU5ªYD\LWZDVWKLV
ODWWHU YLHZ WKDW JDLQHG JURXQG LQ VFKRODUO\ OLWHUDWXUH GHVSLWH (EHU˭V RSLQLRQ
EHLQJWKHPRUHSUREDEOH5HJDUGLQJWKHSODFHRI-RKQ˭VELUWK:DJQHUFRUUHFWHG
%ªO ZKR EHOLHYHG -RKQ ZDV ERUQ LQ 7UHQFVªQᦸᦳ and published the anecdote
DFFRUGLQJWRZKLFK,VWY¢QWROGKLVVRQ˰LIRQO\\RXZHUHROGHU,ZRXOGPDNH
\RX NLQJ˱ᦸᦴ 7KH VWRU\ LV DWWULEXWHG WR WKH 3ROLVK KXPDQLVW -DQ ĂDVNL DQG LV
PHDQWWRGHPRQVWUDWHWKHIDPLO\˭VDPELWLRQV)RUWKHODWHU\HDUVRI-RKQ˭VOLIH
RQFHDJDLQ:DJQHU˭VPDLQVRXUFHZDV'HUQVFKZDPDQGWKHPDLQFRQFHUQLV
the process by which the royal throne was obtained. Since the German humanist
and trader clearly had a hostile attitude towards the Szapolyais, there is no
TXHVWLRQWKDW:DJQHU˭VFKRLFHRIVRXUFHKDGDJUHDWLPSDFWRQKLVDVVHVVPHQWRI
the family. His wording on the period after the Battle of Mohács is surprisingly
EULHI%\UHO\LQJRQDUFKLYDOVRXUFHVKHSURYHGWKDW-RKQZDVQRWFURZQHGE\
Pál Várday, archbishop of Esztergom, but rather by István Podmaniczky, bishop
RI1\LWUD1LWUD+HDYRLGHGDQ\UHIHUHQFHWR-RKQ˭VDOOLDQFHZLWKWKH2WWRPDQV
DQGLQVWHDGEULH̑\PHQWLRQHGWKH7UHDW\RI9¢UDGDQGVXEVHTXHQWO\-RKQ˭VGHDWK
DQGUHEXULDOLQᦱᦵᦴᦳ$VIRU,VDEHOODKHVWDWHGWKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUL]DWLRQVWKDWFDQ
EHUHDGRIKHULQYDULRXVZRUNVGL̏HUJUHDWO\7KHQ̐QDOO\RQWKHEDVLVRIWKH
ZRUNVRI,VWY¢Q̏\DQG)RUJ¢FKKHJDYHDVKRUWVXPPDU\RQ-RKQ6LJLVPXQG
but distorted his physical appearance, describing him as a person with thin
calves, a thin, reddish beard, and a sad face. True, on the last page of the family
KLVWRU\WKHHXORJ\ZULWWHQRI-RKQ,,E\*LDQ0LFKHOH%UXWXVHDVHVWKHWRQH
VRWKHUHDGHUFDQLQIDFWDOVR̐QGVRPHWKLQJSRVLWLYHDERXWWKHODVW6]DSRO\DLᦸᦵ
This short overview does not cover all aspects of the subject; many other
writers and works could be included in more comprehensive research. The
aim of this study has only been to present the way the Szapolyai family was
remembered during the birth of Hungarian academic historiography. As we
have seen, of all the existing historical texts, those written by pro-Habsburg
ZULWHUVHVSHFLDOO\E\,VWY¢Q̏\ZHUHPRUHFRPPRQO\XVHG'HVSLWHWKLVDEURDG
palette of voices had been passed down to the next generation of writers.
324
HOW THE SZAPOLYAI FAMILY WAS REMEMBERED FROM THE 16TH TO THE 20TH CENTURY
7KHᦱᦹWKFHQWXU\SUDFWLWLRQHUVRIWKHQHZSURIHVVLRQDO+XQJDULDQKLVWRULRJUDSK\
˩ ZKRVH WKLQNLQJ ZDV QR ORQJHU GHSHQGHQW RQ DQ\ SDUWLFXODU UHOLJLRXV
GHQRPLQDWLRQ ˩ VHW WKHPVHOYHV WKH SULPDU\ JRDO RI DFWLYHO\ SDUWLFLSDWLQJ LQ
building a nation. The language of the texts also changed, with these new works
mostly published in Hungarian. Historians and literary authors were more and
more intensely attracted to the subject of the Battle of Mohács, with the opinion
strengthening that it was the fatal turning point for the powerful Kingdom of
+XQJDU\GHUDLOHGDIWHU.LQJ0DWWKLDV˭VGHDWKLQᦱᦴᦹᦰWRKHDGLQWRGHFOLQHDQG
disintegration.ᦸᦶ Inevitably, the tone of scholarly and literary works written
DERXWWKH6]DSRO\DLIDPLO\PHPEHUV̐UVWRIDOO.LQJ-RKQDVSURWDJRQLVWVRI
this age, likewise grew more and more sombre.
The change in outlook is well illustrated by A Magyarokhoz (To the
+XQJDULDQVDQRGHE\'¢QLHO%HU]VHQ\LLQZKLFK6]DSRO\DLZDVDOUHDG\OLQNHG
WR WKH EORRG\ VWRUP FORXGV RI ZDU RI WKH ᦱᦶWK DQG ᦱᦷWK FHQWXULHV 7KH SRHW
SUDLVHV KLV QDWLRQ ˰<RX GLG VXUYLYH WKH PXUGHURXV FHQWXU\ RI =¢SRO\D WKH
VHFUHW DVVDVVLQV˭ KDQGV ZKLOH \RX VWRRG ̐UP DPLGVW WKH ̑DPHV RI IDPLO\
blood-feuds in retribution.”ᦸᦷ More straightforward is the opinion of the age in
DSRHPE\DQRWKHUHDUO\ᦱᦹWKFHQWXU\SRHW6¢QGRU.LVIDOXG\HQWLWOHGSomló, in
ZKLFK-RKQ6]DSRO\DLDOUHDG\DSSHDUVLQFRQWUDVWWR-RKQ+XQ\DGL˰7KHIDWHIXO
KRXUDUULYHVDPLGVWURDUVDQGVFUHDPV$QGWKH̐QHODQGRI+XQJDULDQVLV
XSURRWHG)RU/RXLVJHWVNLOOHGDW0RK¢FVOLNH9ODGLVODXVDW9DUQDDQG
=¢SRO\D˩QRW+XQ\DGL˩KDVKLVH\HRQWKHWKURQH˩IURPEHKLQG˱ᦸᦸ
.¢URO\.LVIDOXG\˭VSRHPMohács is a milestone in this process, even though
contemporaries were unaware of it.ᦸᦹ Its motifs were not brand new, since
domestic strife had already been blamed for the defeat at Mohács in earlier
works, for example in the epic poem Magyar gyász+XQJDULDQ*ULHIE\0¢UWRQ
325
SZABOLCS VARGA
(WªGL6´VᦹᦰEXW.LVIDOXG\˭VOLQH˰1R1RWWKHHQHP\KHURZQVRQLQ̑LFWHGKHU
wound (Nem!1HPD]HOOHQVªJ·Q̏DY¢JWDVHEªW˱HSLWRPL]HGJHQHUDORSLQLRQ
DQGGHWHUPLQHGWKHHYDOXDWLRQRIWKH6]DSRO\DLV.LQJ-RKQDQGKLVIDPLO\FRXOG
QRWHPHUJHZHOOIURPWKHSHUVSHFWLYHRI˰'LVFRUGLD˱WKDWLVRIIHXGDQGGLVVHQW
since it was during their reign that Buda got lost and the Hungarian Kingdom
IHOO LQWR SLHFHV :KDW LV PRUH WKH OLEHUDO ᦱᦹWKFHQWXU\ +XQJDULDQ QRELOLW\
championing the cause of the liberation of serfs created a positive memory of the
SHDVDQWULVLQJRIᦱᦵᦱᦴZKLOH-RKQ6]DSRO\DLZKRKDGWKHOHDGHU*\·UJ\'´]VD
brutally executed, was mentioned with contempt as one who had put individual
interest ahead of the interest of the nation and depraved his homeland with his
megalomania.ᦹᦱ
Neither did it contribute to a more favourable image of the Szapolyais
that, alongside the Hungarian élite advocating national independence, those
who were appreciative of the rule of the Habsburgs in Hungary also had an
equally negative opinion of the family. After all, if the golden age was brought
WRWKHFRXQWU\E\WKH+DEVEXUJVWKHQ.LQJ-RKQFURZQHGLQRSSRVLWLRQWRWKHP
KLQGHUHGWKHULVHRIWKHFRXQWU\7KLVLGHDZDVUHLQIRUFHGE\*\·UJ\6]HUªPL˭V
(SLVWRODGHSHUGLWLRUHJQL+XQJDURUXPSXEOLVKHGLQᦱᦸᦴᦰᦹᦲ replete with slanderous
UHPDUNVDERXW.LQJ-RKQ
)ROORZLQJWKHGHIHDWRIWKHZDURIOLEHUDWLRQLQᦱᦸᦴᦹWKHLPDJHRIWKH+DEVEXUJV
FKDQJHGGUDVWLFDOO\LQ+XQJDU\DQGWKLVKDGVRPHLQ̑XHQFHRQWKHHYDOXDWLRQ
of the Szapolyais. The Hungarian intellectuals in exile thought that, rather than
bringing tranquillity, the Austrian dynasty further deepened the crisis brought
E\0DWWKLDV˭VGHDWKᦹᦳ The authors of major syntheses along this line of thought,
/¢V]O´6]DOD\ᦹᦴ and Mihály Horváth, opined that it was not the domestic strife
that caused the fall of the country, but conversely historical necessity that brought
about the crowning of two kings. In their judgment, both the Ottomans and the
Habsburgs were enemies, so they did not condemn the Szapolyais for trying to
seek a solution out of this unfortunate situation with the sultan.ᦹᦵ Of course,
WKHKLVWRULDQVZHUHDZDUHWKDWLQWKHJLYHQSHULRG.LQJ-RKQFRXOGQRWIHDWXUH
DV D SRVLWLYH ̐JXUH RSSRVHG WR )HUGLQDQG RI +DEVEXUJ 7KLV PDGH WKHP SODFH
ᦹᦰ˘0¢UWRQ (WªGL 6´V 0DJ\DU J\¢V] YDJ\LV 0¢VRGLN /DMRV 0DJ\DU .LU¢O\QDN D 0RK¢WVL PH]ĒQ
W·UWªQWYHV]HGHOPH3HVWᦱᦷᦹᦲ0RUHUHFHQWO\US¢G&VRQNLˬ(WªGL6´V0¢UWRQPIJYH0RK¢FVU´O
ᦱᦷᦹᦲ˭LQ)RGRUDQG9DUJDHGV7·EEPLQWHJ\FVDWDᦲᦵᦹ˩ᦲᦷᦹ
ᦹᦱ˘2UVRO\D 9·OJ\HVL ˬ(UGªO\ NªUGªVH ªV D KD]DL Q\LOY¢QRVV¢J D] ᦱᦸᦳᦰDV ªYHNEHQ˭ LQ )HUHQF
+·UFKHU 0¢W\¢V /DMWDL DQG %ªOD 0HVWHU HGV 1HP]HW IDM NXOW»UD D KRVV]» ᤴ V]¢]DGEDQ
0DJ\DURUV]¢JRQ ªV (XU´S¢EDQ 0DJ\DU 7·UWªQHOPL (POªNHN UWHNH]ªVHN 7DQXOP¢Q\RN D
1DFLRQDOL]PXV.XOW»UW·UWªQHWªEĒOᦲ%XGDSHVWᦲᦰᦱᦶᦱᦸᦷ
ᦹᦲ˘,WZDVNQRZQWKDWWKHZRUNH[LVWHGEXWLWVFRQWHQWVZHUHQRWNQRZQ-¢V]D\XVHGLWZKLFKPD\
KDYHFRQWULEXWHGWR-RKQ˭VQHJDWLYHFKDUDFWHUL]DWLRQ=VROW6]HEHOªGL6]HUªPL*\·UJ\Epistolájának
Q\HOYLHOHP]ªVH3K''LVVHUWDWLRQ3¢]P¢Q\3ªWHU&DWKROLF8QLYHUVLW\3LOLVFVDEDᦲᦰᦱᦷᦵ
ᦹᦳ˘,QJHQHUDOVHH+RUY¢WKˬ$ᦱᦹV]¢]DGLW·UWªQHW®U¢V˭ᦱᦶᦷ˩ᦱᦷᦱ
ᦹᦴ˘/¢V]O´6]DOD\0DJ\DURUV]¢JW·UWªQHWH9RO,9$PRK¢FVLYªV]WĒODOLQF]LEªNHN·WªVLJᤰᤱ˨ᤱᤰ. Lipcse,
ᦱᦸᦵᦴ
ᦹᦵ˘,ELGᦷᦷ
326
HOW THE SZAPOLYAI FAMILY WAS REMEMBERED FROM THE 16TH TO THE 20TH CENTURY
WKHHPSKDVLVRQWKHZLIHDQGPRWKHUZLWKDWUDJLFIDWH,VDEHOOD-DJLHOORQᦹᦶ and
GLVFRYHUQHZQDWLRQDOKHURHV)ULDU*HRUJH0DUWLQX]]LDQGWKHHUXGLWHKXPDQLVW
aristocrat Tamás Nádasdy.ᦹᦷ7KXVNHHSLQJDGLVWDQFHIURP.LQJ-RKQUHPDLQHG
unchanged during the dualist Monarchy, which also explains why his biography
was written not by a scholarly historian but by a lawyer from Kolozsvár, Mihály
.ĒY¢U\LQ9DV¢UQDSLMV¢JLQᦱᦸᦶᦱᦹᦸ this is his only biography to this day.
'HVSLWH WKH HQRUPRXV FXOWXUDO WUDQVIRUPDWLRQ LQ +XQJDU\ RYHU WKH ᦱᦹWK
century, the assessment of the Szapolyais changed little. In vain did the
intellectuals of the Reform Era turn with interest to Transylvania, the family who
founded the independent principality did not receive a more positive evaluation
in historiography or literature. The burgeoning cult of the defeat at Mohács and
WKHLQFUHDVLQJO\DPELYDOHQWPHPRU\RIWKH+DEVEXUJVSUHYHQWHG-RKQ,VDEHOOD
RU-RKQ,,IURPFRPLQJFORVHUWRWKH+XQJDULDQKDOORIIDPH2IWKHWKUHHRI
WKHPSHUKDSV,VDEHOODIDLUHGEHVWLQKHUWKHVRFLHW\RIUHYLOHGDQGZLGRZHG
Hungarian noblewomen found its archetype. It is no accident that thanks to
Endre Veress her biography was completed at the turn of the century.ᦹᦹ-RKQ
UHFHLYHGDVWDWXHRQWKHZDOORIWKHSDUOLDPHQWDQGLQWKHSODQVRIᦱᦸᦹᦷKHZDV
FRQVLGHUHGIRULQFOXVLRQLQWKHVFXOSWXUHJDOOHU\RIWKHNLQJVLQ+HURHV˭6TXDUH
in Budapest, but eventually he was not found worthy and was replaced by the
IXOOOHQJWKVWDWXHRI-RKQ+XQ\DGLᦱᦰᦰ
$IWHUWKH7UHDW\RI7ULDQRQLQᦱᦹᦲᦰWKHSROLWLFVRIPHPRU\SDLQWHGDQHYHQ
GDUNHUSLFWXUHRI+XQJDULDQKLVWRU\LQWKH2WWRPDQHUDDQGWKHᦱᦶWKFHQWXU\
It was self-evident to compare Mohács to Trianon, and all historical syntheses
and political analyses pinpointed the primary source of the recent catastrophe
LQWKHDJHRIWKH-DJLHOORQVDQG6]DSRO\DLVᦱᦰᦱ They held that it was factionalism,
VHO̐VKQHVVDQGGLVFRUGWKDWOHGERWKWRWKHZHDNHQLQJRIWKHVRYHUHLJQ˭VSRZHU
LQ ᦱᦵᦲᦶ DQG WR WKH GLVLQWHJUDWLRQ RI KLVWRULFDO +XQJDU\ LQ ᦱᦹᦲᦰ $W WKH VDPH
time, a nostalgia for Transylvania emerged, closely connected to the cult of
Matthias Corvinus in Kolozsvár and to the romanticization of the period of the
Hunyadis.ᦱᦰᦲ However, the Szapolyais were again the losers in the reinterpretation
of the tropes of the Hungarian national character.
There is no room to list all the literature on this theme, but whether we
WDNHWKHFHOHEUDWHGIHPDOHDXWKRU,UªQ*XO¢FV\˭VQRYHO)HNHWHYĒOHJªQ\HN (Black
327
SZABOLCS VARGA
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historical synthesis of the age. The historian, who sympathized with the
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by surges of moods. He was not responsible for the disaster of Mohács; his
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before his contemporaries and for centuries of history to come. Remorse did not
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György Zápolya was also killed at Mohács, for whom he dressed in mourning.”ᦱᦰᦵ
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Ages, when for lack of a strong central power the country disintegrated into
parts, each only defending and caring for itself, and the central power became
incapable of performing comprehensive tasks.”ᦱᦰᦶ
The evaluation of the Szapolyais did not change with the fall of the Horthy
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national independence. The indictment of two long centuries was drafted by
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the Mohács debate in Hungarian historical studies.ᦱᦰᦷ The moot question was
whether Hungary could have avoided the defeat at Mohács and the fall of the
late medieval Hungarian state relying on herself alone, or whether the fate of
the country already depended on the great powers. Although the dispute has not
been ended with a convincing conclusion as yet, it now seems the Hungarian
élite of this era, including the Szapolyais, did not bear full responsibility, for the
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-DJLHOORQLDQDJHLQVHYHUDOUHJDUGVᦱᦰᦸ and Gábor Barta has written fundamental
works on the Szapolyais.ᦱᦰᦹ+HZDVWKH̐UVWWRVWUHVVWKHQHHGWRUHLQWHUSUHWWKH
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he has described the initial phases of the birth of the Transylvanian principality.
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328
HOW THE SZAPOLYAI FAMILY WAS REMEMBERED FROM THE 16TH TO THE 20TH CENTURY
329
MOHÁCS 1526–2026
RECONSTRUCTION AND REMEMBRANCE
9 789634 162360